Springs cook explores new taste on recipes

Mary Alice Lynn is popular with her family and her community. This retired teacher is well known for her delicious baked goods and cooking, for her gardening skills, and her generosity.

The youngest of four children, Mary Alice credits her mother with helping her learn to bake and cook. “She was a great cook. As the youngest in the family, I was around my mother a lot, and I enjoyed helping her. Whatever she was doing, I was right there with her. I guess I ‘ve been cooking and baking and canning my whole life.”

“I like to do creative things, and I enjoy learning new ways of making dishes. I have a great number of cookbooks, and I like to read them to get ideas. When trying a new recipe, I first make it as written. Afterward, I will adapt and adjust the recipe for my use.”

Several of her special cookbooks are ones that her mother passed down to her. “There’s one in particular that my mother wrote out by hand, with just the basics written, no real measurements.”

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“I still remember my first attempt to make bread on my own. My mother had broken her hip and was bed-ridden. Because her recipes did not have exact measures, I would work at it, then take the bowl back to her bedroom to have her tell me if it was coming along correctly. I had to repeat the trips to her room several times, but I learned to bake bread.”

Of all the cooking, baking and preserving that Mary Alice does, she most enjoys baking pies and bread. And her family reaps the benefit of her baking. “When I ask my nieces what they would like, they ask for their favorite pecan pie. My grand-nephews always request gobs.”

Besides the fresh pies and gobs she bakes for them, Mary Alice also prepares and freezes fruit pies and apple dumplings for her family and friends. All they need to do is put the pan in the oven and let it bake to get a delicious, homemade treat.

Mary Alice also does a lot of gardening. In addition to her vegetable garden, she has blueberry bushes. “My blueberry bushes did exceptionally well last summer. My sister helped me pick 357 quarts of blueberries.”

Another specialty of Mary Alice’s is her homemade spaghetti sauce. Of course this highly talented lady grows her own tomatoes too. She makes the spaghetti sauce, cans it, and then shares it with others.

“I’m so happy to be able to share from my garden or kitchen. This past fall we had a Harvest Table at my church, St. John’s United Church of Christ in Salisbury. We would bring produce from our gardens or things we made to share with others. People seemed to really appreciate the program.”

Retired from teaching after more than thirty years with the Meyersdale School District, Mary Alice was able to be a caregiver for her husband during the last year of his life. She makes her home near Springs, and is thankful to have her grandchildren living next door. “I really enjoy being able to see them every day. It’s wonderful to have my family so near.”

Pecan Pie

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. dark corn syrup

1/4 c. melted butter

3 eggs, well beaten

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. maple flavoring

Put pecans in bottom of prepared crust. Beat eggs in a medium size bowl. Add sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, maple flavoring, and butter. Pour carefully over pecans that were arranged in the bottom of the pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Pie Crust

3 c. flour

1 c. butter flavored Crisco

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

2/3 c. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

Cut Crisco into flour mixture until you have small pieces of flour and Crisco mixed. Add milk and vanilla to the dry ingredients. Blend with a fork and then with your hand. Dough will make a soft ball. Roll out to make the crust. Put in pan.